Urban Development

Tamir Rice

Planning Beyond Mass Incarceration

Sheryl-Ann Simpson from Carleton University, Justin Steil from MIT, and Aditi Mehta from the University of Toronto write about a recent article they co-authored in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

June 18, 2020 - JPER

Public Outreach

Regulatory Considerations for Online Public Engagement: Ensuring the Viability of Projects

As online engagement becomes increasingly important during COVID-19, so does understanding compliance with legal requirements.

June 17, 2020 - Stantec

Inwood Hudson RIver

Lack of Racial Impact Analysis Opens Inwood Plan to Legal Challenge in New York City

New York City is appealing a judge's decision to toss the Inwood NYC Action Plan, approved by the city in 2018. Next City describes the racial justice implications of the court case and the plan.

June 17, 2020 - Next City

Sherman, Texas

Pandemic Data for Planners

The right data will be critical in crafting effective responses to the threats posed by the coronavirus.

June 16, 2020 - Kayla Matthews

Muni

CEQA Exemptions Could Finally Be Granted to Sustainable Transportation Projects

California has traditionally granted environmental exemptions to large projects like football stadiums, a practice criticized by environmentalists and urbanists alike. SB 288 would change that, with exemptions for sustainable transportation projects.

June 16, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

cafe

Demand for City Living Hasn't Declined Yet, According to Real Estate Searches

Media is full of stories about people fleeing the city for suburban or even rural climes during the pandemic. The data from real estate search sites tell a different story.

June 16, 2020 - CityLab

Georgia

Pandemic Expected to Dampen Enthusiasm for Mixed-Use Developments

The retail component of the mixed-use development business model is expected to face a long, challenging downturn, and developers and designers are looking in other directions to make ends meet in the meantime.

June 15, 2020 - The New York Times

Black Lives Matter

Watch: Responding to Anti-Black Racism in Planning and Urbanism

A must-watch conversation between BIPOC researchers and advocates working in the realm of planning and urbanism is available to watch on YouTube.

June 15, 2020 - Canadian Urban Institute

Tysons Corner

The Great Retrofit: Transforming Tysons With Walkable Residential Development

A 2010 comprehensive plan set a goal to add 100,000 residential units with walkable access to public transit to this unincorporated corner of Fairfax County in Northern Virginia.

June 14, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Urban Tree Canopy

Another Way to Achieve Racial Justice: Zoning Reform

An opinion piece calls out suburban communities for perpetuating structural inequality and housing discrimination. Recently converted social justice advocates should focus their zeal on zoning reform, according to the argument that follows.

June 14, 2020 - Louisville Courier Journal

Coronavirus Protest

Debating the Future of Cities After the Coronavirus, Volume 3

The third installment of an ongoing, curated list of a particularly contemporary genre of urbanism punditry.

June 10, 2020 - James Brasuell

Coronavirus and Homelessness

Reports Offers COVID-19 Recovery Guidance for Struggling Communities

Communities struggling with the economic, social, and health realities of the 21st century must start planning now to mitigate the worst outcomes of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report from the Center for Community Progress.

June 9, 2020 - Center for Community Progress

Maryland

Silver Spring Downtown Plan Expanding to Make Room for the Missing Middle

Planners are hoping that by expanding the boundaries of the Silver Spring Downtown Plan in Montgomery County, Maryland, new opportunities for missing middle housing will create new opportunities for housing affordability.

June 9, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Dallas Highways

What Will Become of Dallas' Interstate 345?

Disagreement about the removal of Interstate 345 in Dallas continues. Even the son of Senator Royce West wants a say in the future of the highway.

June 8, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

Calatrava Bridge, Dallas

North Texas Cities Organize Regional Recovery Efforts

A consortium of cities and regional organizations have created the new nonprofit known as the North Texas Innovation Alliance.

June 8, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

Philadelphia Municipal Services Building

Designing for Life

A Black architect calls on designers to recommit their training and expertise to account for the health and safety of all, especially those who have been most harmed by the status quo of the built environment.

June 8, 2020 - Fast Company

Freeway Construction

Trump to Suspend Environmental Regulation for Economic Emergency

Reports from the White House indicate that the Trump administration is planning to rollback federal environmental protections to expedite highway and other projects.

June 5, 2020 - The Washington Post

Black Lives Matter

Black Urbanism at Work

Black Americans have been working hard to build a better world.

June 4, 2020 - Next City

Sea-Level Rise

Can Bay Area Communities Come Together to Plan for Sea Level Rise?

Bay Area municipalities need to work together to enable a comprehensive plan to protect against sea-level rise. Communities may be submerged as early as 2030.

June 4, 2020 - High Country News

Columbus, Ohio

Laying the Groundwork for Cheaper Multi-Family Housing Construction

The processes of clearing land, building foundations, and making space for parking are three of the most expensive components of the construction process. Zoning can help reduce the costs to deliver more affordable housing supply.

June 3, 2020 - Brookings

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.